Resistivity contribution of solutes in tungsten

Abstract

The electrical resistivity contribution per atomic per cent solute was determined for several dilute alloys of tungsten at 300 K and at 4.2 K. The concentration of the solutes was below 0.1 at.%, except in the cases of W-Mo and WRe. The influence of the evaporation profile, which is large at low temperatures, was eliminated. At 300 K the effects of different solutes on the resistivity were 7.9 μΩ cm at.% −1, 17 μΩ cm at.% −1, 6.1 μΩ cm at.% −1, 10 μΩ cm at.% −1, 0.25 μΩ cm at.% −1, 1.3 μΩ cm at.% −1 and 11 μΩ cm at.% −1 for iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, molybdenum, rhenium and aluminium solutes respectively. The ratios of the excess resistivities at 4.2 K and 300 K were very similar for the different solutes (between 0.44 and 0.54, but 0.68 for the cobalt), which made it possible to determine also the specific effects of solutes at 4.2 K. From that the atomic scattering cross sections were calculated and their values were found to be close to the atomic size (except for molybdenum and rhenium).